Post submitted by John Affuso, Political Co-Chair of the HRC Boston steering committee.

While Tropical Storm Andrea moved offshore and the skies cleared early Saturday morning, the HRC Boston Steering Committee was hard at work at Boston’s 43rd annual celebration of LGBT Pride. The Grand Marshal of this year’s Pride Parade was Boston Mayor Tom Menino, who is leaving office early next year after serving for thirty years in elected office, the last twenty of those as mayor. To thank Mayor Menino for his unwavering and steadfast support of LGBT equality, HRC Boston printed “Thank You Mayor Menino” signs and distributed them to businesses and spectators along the parade route. The streets of Boston were awash in HRC signs in a rousing and heartfelt salute to Mayor Menino.

In addition to that well received effort, members of the Boston Steering Committee and HRC members and supporters joined forces with Senator Elizabeth Warren and “Team Markey” to march in the Pride Parade in an impressive, boisterous and highly visible show of support for HRC-endorsed Senate candidate Congressman Ed Markey. Markey is running to fill the senate seat vacated by Secretary of State John Kerry, with the special election set for June 25th. Congressman Markey has earned a 100% rating from HRC in each Congress since the organization started its Congressional Scorecard in 1989 and was one of just 67 House members to oppose the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996.

This year’s Boston Pride theme was "Moving forward … Proud, Strong, United". It was also a fitting motto for the highly visible work of the Boston Steering Committee!